A Slice of Cake With... Julie Thorpe

This week I am delighted to have a slice of cake with author Julie Thorpe.

Julie has been writing since she was a young girl but never had the courage to chase her dreams until recently. A lot of events happened which have made her a stronger person. Julie loves interacting with people who read her books as she likes to know what they think of them and thinks it's nice to see who is interested in her work.

What kind of books do you write?

I write books about love. Whether these books are classed as regular love stories or have magic and supernatural creatures in them, I write them all. I’m a big romantic at heart.

Can you describe your writing why?

I’ve written stories ever since I could write as a child. It has a way of soothing me and helps me, a bit like therapy. Some people like to listen to music or go running but I like to write. Plus I have lots of ideas floating around in my head so sometimes I just feel the urge to get them down on paper and next thing you know, I have a book.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

From Immortal Dawn:

I yanked the bathroom door open and strode out purposefully, bumping straight into Amy. Our bodies collided and I heard an ‘oomph’ escape her lips as she stumbled backwards at the impact. I grabbed her arms and held her steady as she regained her balance.

This is my favourite section of the book simply because it leads them to the next stage in their relationship, even though it is something quite harmless.  

Tell us about your latest project

I have just released a new book called Always Remember. It’s the third book in a series that I’ve been writing and it follows Cal and his daughter as they go through life without Cal’s partner. He needs help with his daughter when she starts acting out at school and this is where Louisa enters the story. Louisa becomes an integral person in their lives until something happens that can change all of their fates. I won’t say anymore but I hope people are enjoying it when they read it.

What is your favourite cake?

Ooh, this is a tough one. I love chocolate cake, doesn’t matter what kind as long as it’s got chocolate. I’m also partial to a Victoria sponge.

You can connect with Julie here:

Facebook Author Page: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100031883933995

Facebook Readers Group: facebook.com/groups/590065728485620

TikTok: juliethorpe56

Instagram: authorjuliethorpe

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Shannon McRoberts. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me virtual tea & cake via Kofi - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.

A Slice of Cake With... Jess B Moore

Today I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with author Jess B Moore.

Jess is a writer of love stories. When she’s not writing, she’s busy mothering her accomplished and headstrong children, reading obscene numbers of books, and knitting scarves she’ll likely never finish.   

Jess lives in small town North Carolina with her bluegrass obsessed family. She takes too many pictures of her cats, thinking the Internet loves them as much as she does. She is a firm believer of swapping stories over coffee or wine, and that there should always be dark chocolate involved.   

The Fox River Romance novels combine her interests in family, music, and small towns into thoughtful tales of growing up and falling in love. These books can be read as stand-alone, or as a series starting with The Guilt of a Sparrow. 

What kind of books do you write?

My books are primarily character driven and are about the complexities of relationships. From family and friends to lovers and enemies, I like to explore the way people form bonds and how they interact with each other. All of my books are in small towns, which have their own special influence on relationships, with the lack of privacy and the tendency to spread gossip. Each of my books also explores real life issues, including grief, mental health, and substance abuse.

Can you describe your writing why?

I started writing as a way to find myself after many years devoted to being a stay at home mom.  Characters and their stories invaded my mind, and I enjoyed untangling their paths, then getting them written down. After a couple years of finding my voice and writing half-stories, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and dedicated myself to completing an entire book start to finish. It was then I found a community of romance authors, started sharing my work, and really focused on becoming a writer. 

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

How does one choose a favorite!?  

One of the most difficult for me to write was The Heart of a Peach – it’s the book I went back and changed/rewrote the most. The leading lady, Olivia Hamilton, ended up being far more complex than I’d anticipated, and it was emotional to delve into her life and the changes she wanted (needed) to make.  

"I wasn’t the scared little girl, perpetually worried about messing up.

Neither was I the defiant teen, desperate to dull the fear inside me.

I certainly wasn’t the bottled-up young woman of the last few years, compensating for the wickedness inside me.

None of those identities existed anymore ..."

Olivia Hamilton, The Heart of a Peach

Tell us about your latest project

My latest release is Claiming Grace, the conclusion to the seven book Fox River Romance Series.  (It can be read as a stand alone, if you’re not wanting to dive into an entire series). 

The blurb:  Kensie Lawson is a devoted daughter, a loyal sister, and a lover of animals. She spends her time knitting nerdy scarves, fostering furry friends, and reading romance novels. Painfully shy, highly anxious, and battling depression, Kensie has put her love life on the back burner. Not that she hasn’t noticed the hunky single father who frequents her family’s hardware store.

Hudson Grace is a young widower, a single father, and a stand up guy. He divides his time between building his construction business, keeping tabs on his younger brothers, and raising his precocious daughter. Carrying too much on his broad shoulders, and determined to provide the best life he can for his family, Hudson has sacrificed having romantic relationships. Until he can’t ignore his growing interest in the compassionate and kind Kensie.

What is your favourite cake?

Humming Bird cake!  Three layers with bananas, pineapples, and cream cheese frosting.  Often described as carrot cake meets banana bread.

Link to the original recipe: southernliving.com/recipes/hummingbird-cake-recipe 

From Southern Living magazine:  When the Hummingbird Cake was first submitted to Southern Living in 1978 by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina, we had no idea the cake would become our most popular and beloved Southern cake recipe ever. 

Connect with Jess on social media @authorjessb

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Michelle Cook. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours through Kofi and buy me virtual tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.

A Slice of Cake With... Clancy Weeks

Today I am delighted to have a slice of cake with author Clancy Weeks. 

Clancy is a composer by training, with over two-dozen published works for wind ensemble and orchestra, but always was an author at heart. Having read SF/F for over fifty years, his life took a sharp u-turn when he published his first novel, Sleepers, a Sci-Fi thriller. Two other novels and a handful of short stories quickly followed.  He has lived his entire life in Texas, and currently resides in the Houston area with his amazing wife, Molly, and son, Leo.

What kind of books do you write?

Hmmm… I try to write character-driven stories, exploring how events affect them on a personal level.  I think most writers try to do this; some with more success than others.  The genre really doesn’t matter—a good story is a good story, and great characters are great.  And a great character is one that changes.

Can you describe your writing why?

My stock answer has always been “because I want to know what happens next”.  I guess that’s because I’m a hardcore pantser, and I rarely know where the characters are taking me until they get there.  I write the stories I want to read.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

Interestingly, though I usually like best the one I wrote last, I’ll share this from an earlier horror I wrote titled The Ward:

WHEN YOU LIVE DEEP IN THE BIBLE BELT, you’re surrounded by a whole host of people my daddy classified as “about a half-bubble off plumb”.  The worst of the lot were religious nuts because there was no debating them, and no way to convince others these people were off the beam.  I’d had my fill of them before I turned eight.

When I was nine, Maryanne Herman, she of the First Baptist Bakers League, got the gin-induced idea the stain on her screen door was staring at her.  The old sot told her next-door neighbor before she’d sobered, and by the time the story had spread past more than a handful of families, the stain had become the image of Jesus.  True believers came from all over and stood in Mrs. Herman’s back yard, packed like the little fishes on their car bumpers, each claiming they’d seen the vision.  News cameramen rolled up in their vans, but by then her yard was little more than a mud pit, and the new claim was Jesus had turned and smiled.

It never mattered to anyone the origin of the stain was a drunken fight with her husband, culminating in a mug of cold coffee hurled like a fastball directly at Joe Herman’s head.  He’d disappeared the next week, and everyone figured he’d simply had enough.  They thought that right up until Maryanne’s mud pit of a back yard gave up old Joe’s skull.  It was three girls from out of town who found it, at first thinking it was a muddy ball; they didn’t get too far cleaning it off before the screaming reached a pitch only dogs can hear.

After the cops took Maryanne away in handcuffs, the story of Screen Door Jesus became Joe’s Revenge, and ghost stories weren’t quite as engaging among those who believed in an actual Holy Ghost.  Plus, the evangelicals no longer had a home-grown conduit for sucking cash from peoples’ pockets.  The crowds petered out, Maryanne Herman’s back yard dried up, then overgrew with weeds. Screen Door Jesus remained to watch over the property.

Tell us about your latest project

My most recent is a YA High Fantasy titled Bitter Knight.

From my pitch: Once a century, an elf births a human child.  Evan appears human, but the witch knows he is far more. From across the Dragon's Teeth, a dark dragonrider leads an army to the land of Àrthalum. Evan, fourteen and ignorant of his abilities, stumbles headlong into a conflict between his people and one man’s lust for power.

This is the first true fantasy I’ve attempted, and it’s got dragons, witches, wizards, knights, talking wolves, elves, demons, and fairies.  Not to mention dwarves—which aren’t short, by the way.  They just look short from a distance because they’re so wide.  Yeah… my mind takes me in weird directions.

What is your favourite cake?

Dutch chocolate, of course!

You can connect with Clancy on Twitter: @clancy_Weeks and on Facebook: @clancylweeks. All his books are available on Amazon.

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with William Mitchell. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me. 

A Slice of Cake With... Mark Minson

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with author Mark Minson.

Mark lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. He enjoys playing games with his wife and five kids. He loves to sing and can often be found whistling as he walks. An avid shoe-wearer, you might run into him strolling down memory lane - either his or somebody else’s.

He brings humor to life through his many accents and movie quotes. He found his magic long ago, in a high school far, far away and now happily shares it with you. May you find your magic and share it with others.

What kind of books do you write?

I write books about victims of bullying, love, and magic. I didn’t consciously sit down and choose those themes, but they are strong ones from my youth. As a hopeful romantic, I find love to be a powerful motivator. I revel in the possibilities of magic in many different forms.

Can you describe your writing why?

I start writing because an idea hits me, sometimes a page of a story or just an over-arching idea. Most of my writing begins in my head and I have to grab something to write it down. After that, I need a goal, a reason to keep writing. With my first novel, I wanted to finish an actual book. Then I had people who wanted book 2 of the series. Finally, I knew that I would sell more of my books if the series was finished. Now I’m writing for Dave Farland’s class. I’m also trying to finish my next novel to prove to myself that I’m not a one series wonder.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

That’s like asking which of my children is my favourite. I’ve recently edited my short story called Dragon Bond (Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future contest), and this scene still makes me smile.

”Huth had peed his pants. Not when he realized the yellow eyes belonged to a dragon the size of two horses, no, he’d just screamed like a girl and run. Not when the medallion had glowed and burned on his chest, humming like rolling thunder inside him causing him to stop. Not even when he turned around, almost against his will, because the medallion called to the dragon. But instantly when the dragon’s mouth opened sending orange and yellow fire to engulf him.

 

He’d shut his eyes tight hoping for a quick death. Instead, warm water washed over him like standing under a small waterfall but comfortable, cleansing. He didn’t dare open his eyes until it stopped. Did heaven feel like a warm shower? 

After it ended, charred ground surrounded him in the enlarged clearing, and he had wet pants. The enormous beast collapsed. The circle of scorched earth included part of the stream leaving vaporized water hanging heavy in the air.”

Tell us about your latest project

My current novel is called Severed. My goal is to release it this year. I’m writing the falling action and loving the story. 

“The Magi fought alongside soldiers during the goblin wars. But a jealous king forced them to lose their ability to cast magic or lose their lives. The goblins, once thought extinct have returned and Derrit and Plimeria, two outcasts and fledgling mages, may be the only chance for saving humankind.”

I also want to release a collection of short stories this year so Dragon Bond will be available to read in its entirety. 

What is your favourite cake?

My favourite cake was made by a master in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Two layers of chocolate cake sandwich a layer of marionberry cheesecake and the whole cake is coated with a thick layer of milk chocolate. But since you can’t get that anymore, the big chocolate cake from Costco.

Connect with Mark Minson here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/markminsonauthor

Website - https://novelmage.wordpress.com/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NovelMage

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Joe Malik. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.

A Slice of Cake with... Fi Phillips

This week I am delighted to have a slice of cake with author Fi Phillips.

Fi Phillips is a fantasy author living in North Wales with her family and a pooch called Bailey. When she isn’t ‘authoring’, she works as a freelance copywriter. In a previous life, she wrote murder mystery plays. These days, writing about magical possibilities is her passion.

Her debut novel, Haven Wakes, was released in 2019 by Burning Chair Publishing and the second instalment in The Haven Chronicles is due to be released later this year.

What kind of books do you write?

I love to write about magical possibilities. The kind of stories where you step through a door that should be a cupboard and find yourself somewhere altogether unexpected, with characters who have mystical powers or impossible pets. 

I also like to write about a mix of magic and science, with a huge dollop of adventure.

Can you describe your writing why?

I write because if I didn’t, I would spend way too much time daydreaming. It also prevents my muse from invading my shower time and keeping me awake at night.

There are just too many stories in my brain to not write them down.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

This is the first time we meet Hartley Keg. After being violently attacked, Steve wakes up in Hartley’s shop. His first thought is of escape and when he meets Hartley, he assumes that this is his kidnapper:

Light spilled through an uncurtained shop window at the far end of the room, next 

to which was a door and, in its lock, sat a key. 

Got to get out of here, he thought. He took a step. The floorboard beneath his foot 

creaked.

“Good morning,” a deep voice boomed. “How’s your head?” The owner of the voice stood in a doorway at the opposite end of the shop from Steve’s escape route, wooden spoon in one hand and a floral apron tied around his middle. 

The man was tall and round in stature, with a mane of chestnut hair that flowed down into an impressively full beard. Steve supposed he was in his fifties, from the lines around his eyes, but it was difficult to tell under so much facial hair. 

“Eggs?” 

“Sorry?” said Steve. 

“Would you like eggs with your bacon?” the man said. “I take it you do eat bacon?” 

“Yes,” said Steve, wondering how much more bizarre the conversation could become. “I eat bacon.” 

“Good,” said the man. “Come on, come on.”

Extract from Haven Wakes, book one of the Haven Chronicles series.

Tell us about your latest project

My debut novel, Haven Wakes was published by Burning Chair Publishing in 2019 and the second book in the series (still working on the book title) is due to be published later this year.

In Book Two, Steve and his magical friends face the consequences of their actions in Haven Wakes and face a new, more powerful foe. We extend the world of the story beyond the city limits of Caercester to a whole host of new locations and discover much more about Steve’s world and that of the magical community.

And there are robots too… lots of them.

What is your favourite cake?

It has to be carrot cake. It’s not sponge but it’s not fruit cake either. It’s a lovely texture somewhere in between the two. Plus I can fool myself that I’m being healthy because there’s carrot in it. 

It’s my daughter’s favourite cake too, so we’ve baked a fair few carrot cakes during lockdown.

You can connect with Fi here:

Website - http://fiphillipswriter.com/

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Georgiana-Laura Gheorghe. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.

A Slice of Cake With... Edward Swing

This week I am delighted to have a slice of cake with author Edward Swing.

Edward is a writer of stories, software developer, an avid gamer, and otaku. He has been a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, learned taekwondo, traveled both within the United States and internationally, and studied diverse topics including astronomy, mythology, and mathematics. He lives with his wife, three children, and several pampered cats.

What kind of books do you write?

I currently have four novels out. In the New Pantheon series (Awakening and Conundrums), five teens in our world gain immortality and magical abilities but learn that the Titans and giants (and in Conundrums, faeries) of myth are real. As they explore their talents, they discover powerful immortals who have shaped history and myth.

Another of my books, Dance of the Gozen, chronicles the struggles of a military mecha pilot who wrestles with guilt and anguish over his aunt's death amidst an ongoing conflict. He also faces challenges integrating with his unit and yearns to prove himself to his teammates.

Finally, The Wondrous Wayfarer narrates the tale of a boy from our world who follows an ogre into a mysterious vehicle that travels between worlds, only to find he cannot return to Earth. He meets a diverse cast of bizarre characters and explores exotic worlds, but he wants to find a home. 

Can you describe your writing why?

I love exploring the possible - fantastic worlds, exotic realms, far-future technology, and so forth. But at the same time, I want to show that despite having magical powers or futuristic mecha, we are still human.

At the same time, I enjoy writing about other intelligent creatures and their impressions of humans. Too often in fiction, we see beings - aliens or magical races - that are just humans with a slightly different culture. But how would we interact with an alien who communicates through magnetic waves? Could we even learn to communicate? How could we understand each other, not only from a linguistic perspective but culturally too?

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

This is a scene from Dance of the Gozen where Capt. Tann Danre and his partner Lt. Jyurri Jensen are escorting school kids through the mech hangar on a tour.

One of the youngest girls, gazing at the Lancelot and Centurion standing beside each other, blurted, “It looks like they’re married!” Several other children laughed.

Tann blushed, not knowing how to respond. Jyurri came to his rescue. “Wow! You’re right! They do look like they’re married! Can you imagine a wedding dress that big?” More of the kids laughed.

“So why do most of them look like girls?” another boy asked.

Tann explained, “Well, they look like women because women have a lower center of balance than men. These third-generation mechs—the Gozens—move exactly like their pilots. But it’s easier for them to balance if they’re shaped like women. Ten standard years ago, we couldn’t even build a male-model Gozen that could walk for very long, but the Lancelot is the first male Knight.” Tann felt a familiar, reassuring pride as he gestured towards his Gozen. “Now follow me and I’ll show you where we stored some mechs we captured in the last Kicker raid.”

Tell us about your latest project

I'm in the early stages of writing Pride of the Gozen, the sequel to Dance of the Gozen. In this story, assassins threaten the fragile accord between humanity and an alien race, the Hielcoo. Capt. Tann Danre and his partner, Lt. Jyurri Jensen must search for answers, visiting multiple worlds and facing dangerous opponents, both inside and outside of their mechs.

What is your favourite cake?

A good spice cake is always a tasty treat.

You can connect with Ed here:

Website (still in development): http://wordsbyedward.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Edward-Swing/e/B08DHHQCB3
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edward.swing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-swing-bb692b51/
Blog: https://wordsbyedward.tumblr.com

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Nathan Scammell. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.